Peggy survives the fall but ends up in a full body cast and has to deal with her limitations. Cotton and Didi have their baby, but are uninterested in parenting the child.
Tropes:
- Abusive Parents: Didi, who seems so uninterested in raising G.H. she can't even bother to name him, due to having postpartum depression. And Cotton becomes neglectful after being freaked out by him lactating.
- Bandage Mummy: Peggy is put in a full body cast that covers everything except her head, fingers and toes.
- Big "YES!": Hank gives two of them in quick succession. First while in the waiting room, when the Dallas Cowboys score a touchdown and then another right after the doctor says Peggy will be okay.
- Break the Haughty: Pretty much the entire episode for Peggy. While initially optimistic about how she'll be able to help out around the house like normal, she eventually finds out how limited she really is and breaks down.
- Broken Tears:
- Played for Laughs when Luanne sees the fully bandaged Peggy and starts bawling her eyes out as if she passed away.
- Later on Peggy, when she eventually learns how limiting her broken body is. Not being able to help around the house and look after G.H. Plus she resents Cotton and Didi for neglecting G.H.
- Calling the Old Man Out: Hank has had enough of Cotton ignoring the baby and then tells him to take care of G.H.
- Delayed Safety Feature: Peggy's malfunctioned emergency parachute activates when she was being stretchered from the ambulance to the hospital after her fall.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: At one point, Hank has to feed Peggy like a baby by using a bottle. Despite her protests, Hank keeps shushing her and then she cries, while drinking through the bottle.
- Driven by Envy: Played sympathetically, Peggy admits she jumped out of the plane because she was jealous due to Didi giving birth to their baby and she wanted to do something that wouldn't make her feel upstaged just like in the previous episode when Didi's pregnancy upstaged the Hills' 20th anniversary of their marriage.
- Everyone Has Standards: Cotton's horrified reaction upon seeing Peggy in the hospital and assuming Hank did that to her implies that he is at least not a physical abuser."Hank, what'd you do to your wife?! I didn't teach you that!"
- Heavy Sleeper: G.H.'s nonstop crying keeps the entire neighborhood awake except for Bill, who's seen sleeping through it. Not even a squirrel who comes in through his window and eats one of the potato chips he was eating can wake him up.
- Heroic BSoD: Peggy initially is thrilled and in good spirits after surviving her fall. But in due time, her broken body ends up greatly limiting her, it eventually sinks her into depression. She then vents to Hank about how G.H. being born made Peggy actually jump and her thoughts about how she's unable to have children, while seeing Cotton and Didi neglecting their own baby.Peggy: AAAAAAHHHHH!!!! Do you know what torture that is?! I was once one of the finest mothers in the State of Texas and now, now I can't even wipe a baby! And I have to watch those two, Cotton and Stupid, with their beautiful new baby that they don't even want?!
- It's All My Fault:
- Hank feels incredibly guilty about Peggy's injuries and fears it was his urging her to jump that led to her being hurt. She assues him it wasn't his fault, but hers' when confronted.
- When Cotton sees G.H. lactating, he assumes this is his punishment for his evil deeds.Cotton: Oh, Lord, what did I do to deserve this? Was it them fi'ty men I killed?
- Meaningful Name: Cotton names his baby "G.H.", meaning "Good Hank", much to Hank's chagrin.Hank: Dad, this isn't right. You call him "Good Hank", it's gonna make it sound like I'm "Bad Hank".Cotton: Well, you burnt my burger, didn't ya, B.H.?
- Nightmare Sequence: Hank has one where he urges and forces Peggy to jump out of the plane, feeling guilty over her injuries.
- No One Could Survive That!: Peggy survives the fall by landing on muddy ground, but every bone in her body is broken.
- No Sympathy: Cotton blames Didi for G.H. lactating and doesn't seem to care about her postpartum depression.
- Nothing Is Scarier: A baby crying nonstop is frustrating. The same baby stopping its crying?
- Oh, Crap!: Subverted; after Hank and Cotton argue about taking care of the baby. The crying suddenly stops and both have this reaction. They all rush to G.H. and fortunately, the baby is OK: Peggy is rocking him with her foot (after Didi placed him next to her earlier).
- Parents for a Day: With Cotton and Didi neglecting the baby and Peggy still broken, Bobby is the one who takes up the responsibility to help G.H.
- Pet the Dog: Cotton upon seeing his newborn baby and holding him while giving him baby talk. Ends up subverted later on though, when he gets too freaked out by his lactating to raise him.
- Previously on…
- Rage Breaking Point: After being used to do chores by Cotton and driving Didi to the hospital and delivering her baby in the previous episode and here having to take care of G.H. and him being told to put on Cotton's shin jelly, Bobby finally snaps after being asked by Didi to get her lottery tickets:Bobby: I am a twelve year old boy! I am this child's nephew! I cannot do this. I. Cannot. Do. This! (hands Didi the baby) If anybody makes any dinner, I'll eat. But that's it! ALL I'LL DO IS EAT!!! (slams door and leaves the house)
- Reasonable Authority Figure: The doctor at the hospital who talks to Hank is calm and professional as well as entirely correct when he predicts that Peggy would experience a "second crash" when the thrill of surviving tapers off and she realizes just how limited she is. It's also implied that he wanted Peggy to stay at the hospital longer until she was able to properly recover but respected and honored her decision to want to leave early.
- Shout-Out: Bobby sings to a crying G.H. "Arthur's Theme" (Best That You Can Do) by Christopher Cross.
- Sleep Deprivation: With G.H.'s nonstop crying, keeping the whole neighborhood (except for Bill) awake.
- Took a Level in Dumbass: While the last season has her getting a bit ditzy, the beginning really establishes Luanne as a Dumb Blonde by having her find a cow skull, making her think Peggy was killed.
